The Zone of Interest Review

The Zone of Interest is the fourth feature film from Jonathan Glazer, the man behind Sexy Beast and Under the Skin. With The Zone of Interest Glazer tackles the subject of the Holocaust.

Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) is a senior SS officer whose family lives next to the walls of Auschwitz. He spends time with his family as well as managing the concentration camp. Höss’ domestic bliss is threatened when he’s given a transfer but his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) refuses to move their family.

The Zone of Interest has been a highly regarded film. It won the Grand Prix prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the Best International Feature at the Oscars. It was a film that was easy to admire, but considering the subject matter it was hard to enjoy. The Zone of Interest was a cold and clinical film that looked at the perpetrators of the most infamous crimes against humanity.

The Zone of Interest was an examination of evil and aimed to take a nuanced look at it. The people weren’t sadists who enjoyed the suffering and pain they caused. The characters on display were generally detracted from the goings on at Auschwitz despite living next to the camp and ordering the executions of so many people. Many people who were involved in mass murder had a businesslike approach, whether it was looking at the plans of a crematorium to make the disposable of bodies more efficient or talking about the transport of Jewish people from Hungary to Auschwitz. It was similar to the 2001 TV film Conspiracy where a conference of senior Nazi officials came up with plans for mass extermination.

The Höss family had a comfortable life because of Rudolf’s position and the couple were fully aware of why they had their lifestyle. Hedwig was willing to threaten her Jewish slaves with death and her flowers were held in higher regard than people. Yet they were also devoted parents and wanted to do what was right for their children. They were complex which made them more interesting than if there were people who gleefully ordered the deaths of people and abused their children. It was more nuanced and more chilling because of it. Hedwig’s mother (Imogen Kogge) said she was proud of the Höss’ success but she had to face the grim reality of why they were wealthy.

There were striking images and contrasts throughout the film. There was domestic bliss and an immaculate garden that was surrounded by concrete walls, watchtowers, and a smoking furnace visible, or when the picturesque river was filled with ashes and human remains. In the background, there were sounds of gunshots, screaming, and trains churning. All of this leaves the horrors of Auschwitz to the audience’s imagination.

Glazer came from an art-house background, so The Zone of Interest was focused on characters, mood, and themes rather than the plot. It was easy enough to follow, Glazer wasn’t making an obtuse film that would please pretentious critics and awards bodies, no one else. Glazer accomplished what he set out to do by making a daring and harrowing film.

The Zone of Interest will be seen as one of the great Holocaust films and took the bold step by showing it from the Nazi perspective. It was a cold, chilling film, that showcased how the Nazis could live with their crimes: with indifference.